Bradley Manning Hub

Wikileaks soldier Bradley Manning wants to live the remainder of her life as a woman according to a statement read by attorney David Coombs this morning, NBC's Today reports:

“I am Chelsea Manning. I am female,” the Army private wrote in a statement read on TODAY Thursday by his attorney. “Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition.”

“I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility),” he continued in the statement. “I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.”

During his trial, Manning’s defense team suggested his struggles with gender identity as a gay soldier were a factor in his decision to leak. His attorneys presented an email to a former supervisor from April 2010 in which he said he was transgender and joined the Army to “get rid of it.” The email, which had the subject line “My Problem,” also included a photo of Manning in which he is wearing a blonde wig and lipstick. During Manning’s nine-month detainment at the Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va., following his arrest in 2010, he sent two letters to his counselor using the name “Breanna,’’ Master Sgt. Craig Blenis testified at his trial.

I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation.

As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.

Manning’s lawyer, David Coombs, said Wednesday he would file a request early next week with the Department of the Army with the hope of making its way to the president, asking him either to pardon Manning or commute his sentence to time served.

Bradley Manning has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking more than 700,00 classified documents to Wikileaks, the WaPo reports:

Manning, 25, was convicted last month of multiple charges, including violations of the Espionage Act for copying and disseminating the documents while serving as an intelligence analyst at a forward operating base in Iraq. He faced up to 90 years in prison.

According to the military, Manning is required to serve one-third of the sentence before he becomes eligible for parole.

The government had asked Judge Denise Lind, an Army colonel, to sentence Manning to 60 years. “There is value in deterrence, your honor; this court must send a message to any soldier contemplating stealing classified information,” said Capt. Joe Morrow, a military prosecutor. “National security crimes that undermine the entire system must be taken seriously.”

Manning was found guilty last month of six counts of violating the Espionage Act, five counts of stealing government property and one count of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and found not guilty of the most serious charge, "aiding the enemy".

Private Manning’s sentence will automatically be sent to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals. Before the next phase can begin, the entire court-martial proceedings must be turned into an official transcript, which both the defense and prosecution, as well as the judge, must approve; that process is expected to take considerable time. Pretrial hearings started in 2012, and the trial itself began in early June.

Last month, Pfc Bradley Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against him, but was found not guilty of the most serious charge - that of "aiding the enemy." On Wednesday, the Wikileaks soldier read a lengthy statement to the army judge assigned to his case, Col. Denise Lind, in which he apologized for his actions.

Said Manning:

I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions. When I made
these decisions I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people. The
last few years have been a learning experience. I look back at my
decisions and wonder how on earth could I, a junior analyst, possibly
believe I could change the world for the better (unintelligible) on
decisions of those with the proper authority.

In retrospect, I
should have worked more aggressively inside the system, as we discussed
during the provenance statement. I had options, and I should have used
these options. Unfortunately, I can't go back and change things. I can only go forward.
I want to go forward. Before I can do that, I understand that I must
pay a price for my decisions and actions.

Manning, who faces up to 90 years, minus time served, will very likely learn his sentence from Judge Lind next week.

Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier responsible for what is considered the largest leak of classified documents in United States history, was found not guilty of "aiding the enemy". Manning already faces up to 20 years for charges to which he has already pled guilty. The charge of "aiding the enemy", which was the most severe of the 21 counts Manning faced today, typically carries with it a life sentence. While Manning managed to avoid the "aiding the enemy charge" today, he has been found guilty of 5 espionage counts and 5 theft counts, one computer fraud count, and other military infractions, making for 19 counts in all. It is not yet clear how severe a penalty those counts carry, although, as was noted by the Huffington Post, Manning's total guilty charges could land him up to more than 100 years in prison.

With Edward Snowden and other "whistleblowers" making headlines in recent months, the Manning verdict already brings with it even more debate and controversy with some calling him a "hero" and others a "traitor". Further controversy has erupted over Manning's years in solitary confinement, and his apparent physical condition after the fact. According to his lawyer, David Coombs, Manning repeatedly suffered from inhumane treatment. According to Coombs' blog, he was "forced to stand naked at parade rest where he was in view of multiple guards" and was "required to wear a heavy and restrictive suicide smock which irritated his skin and, on one occasion, almost choked him." He subsequently referred to the punishment as "unlawful". Coombs' revelation only emboldened Manning's supporters, including celebrated whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who hailed him as a champion of government transparency. Meanwhile, Manning's detractors, including the Obama administration, had no trouble branding him as a threat to the U.S. and its interest. Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated publicly that the leaks "threatened the lives of Americans and damaged foreign relationships."

Manning's story also sparked heated debate within the LGBT community, due to the fact that his sexual orientation and struggles with gender identity reportedly played into his motives for the leaks in the first place. Manning served during some of the final months of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the controversial military policy that previously barred LGBT soldiers from serving openly. According to Gawker, during many of Manning's correspondences with ex-hacker Adrian Lamo, he confessed to experiencing repeated turmoil over his gender identity. Also, many of the "likes" displayed on Manning's social network profiles were LGBT-related. His defense team attempted to use that fact in his defense, stating that, due to Manning's reported struggle, coupled with the hostile environment of DADT, placed him in a mental state that made him unfit to handle classified documents in the first place. Many of Manning's supporters were also members of the LGBT community, including gay activist Lt. Dan Choi and straight allies such as Rosanne Barr, Russell Brand, and Oliver Stone.

Manning was also briefly appointed grand marshall of the San Francisco Pride Parade earlier this year, a point that was hailed by some and decried by others. Parade organizers opted to change their minds later on, citing a "rogue member of the board" as the source of the original appointment.

Now that Manning's verdict has been released, reactions have started pouring in from various entities. Widney Brown, senior director of international law and policy at Amnesty International, told the Huffington Post that "we're obviously relieved that he wasn't sentenced on the most serious charges when there was no evidence to convict him." Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, added:

"While we're relieved that Mr. Manning was acquitted of the most dangerous charge, the ACLU has long held the view that leaks to the press in the public interest should not be prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Since Manning already pleaded guilty to charges of leaking information – which carry significant punishment – it seems clear that the government was seeking to intimidate anyone who might consider revealing valuable information in the future."

According to CNN, Manning himself appeared to be relieved upon hearing the verdict, even smiling after he heard the decision.

At least one demonstration has been planned to express solidarity for Manning and his actions later today. The San Diego Coalition to Free Manning has announced today that they will be holding a "RISE UP Rally" at 5 PM " at 6th Ave & University Ave in Hillcrest." Accoding to the group's press release:

"The rally will include banners, chanting, many local speakers, as well as an open mic for the public to share their concerns. 'Manning hoped the revelations would inspire debate and reform. Our aim is to assist our hero in this shared mission,' said Sean Bohac of SAME Alliance. 'We hope that people see that this has not been a fair trial, and that Bradley Manning did a just and heroic thing, organizing these actions helps spark important debate about the failure of the Obama administration to be on the side of freedom and justice.'"

A teacher who recently appeared on an episode of Bravo’s Princesses: Long Islandwill now be losing her job thanks to an anti-gay slur she used while being filmed.

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Drivers in the town of North Berwick, Scotland, are being advised to keep an eye out for young puffins that could be hiding under their vehicles. Scientists say the young puffins settle there after leaving their burrows for the first time. The Scottish Seabird Centre has issued a statement...but who cares?! Baby puffins!!!